Igbo Traders in Mararaba Market in Nassarawa State, Nigeria since the 1960s

Although the literature on the history of the Igbo people has highlighted the role of Igbo traders, the analysis appears to have underemphasized the role of Igbo traders in specific markets. This article, therefore, examines the activities of Igbo traders in the Mararaba market, Nassarawa state. To achieve its objectives, the study adopts the distinctive historical method. It has utilized primary sources such as oral interviews, newspaper reports and secondary sources like books, journal articles and internet sources.It highlights the emergence of the Igbo traders in Mararaba and the various activities they are engaged. The article has shown that since the end of the Nigerian Civil War, the Igbo informal enterprise had continued unhindered. The study also found that the activities of Igbo traders in Mararaba market went beyond the formal trading activities to include other informal social activities. It also demonstrates that the Igbo traders through their activities have promoted inter-group relations and infrastructural development.